Rating: 
Summary: Over-complicated & wordy
Review: "The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides, 221 pages Nicolaides book is often compared to "Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. Now I understand why. They are both complicated, overly-intellectualized approaches to drawing. Nicoliades writes the better complication however, because his book is approximately 60% wordy text/40% pictures. Betty Edward's is approximately 80% wordy text/20% pictures. The quote from the back cover, with the full page photo of Nicoliades shows how narrow an approach he holds: "There is only one right way to draw and that is a perfectly natural way." -Kimon Nicolaides Anyone who knows anything understands that there are as many approaches to drawing as there are people. If Nicoliades is simply telling us that all ways of drawing are "natural ways" it is a redundant statement, because nobody is arguing anywhere that anyone's drawing is unnatural. Such tautological complications of basic drawing show Nicolaides approach as wordy and intellectualized. The gesture drawings in the early chapters are uninspiring. The rest of the sparse illustrations seem to come from either student drawings and master reproductions. There are just too few of them. Nicolaides' approach to art is tedious and discouraging and nobody should be expected to read through 221 pages of boring text. There are much better books on the market with less text and more illustration.
Rating: 
Summary: For the motivated student
Review: "The Natural Way to Draw" is not an easy book. Mr. Nicolaides does not provide any shortcuts to mastery. He does, however, show the reader how much work it takes to start learning. In Mr. Nikolaides' words: "The job of the teacher,... is to teach students, not how to draw, how to learn to draw." The philosophy is best reflected in the exercises: Each of the 25 sections contain a 15 hour work schedule. That's 375 hours. In addition, Mr. Nicolaides points out certain exercises, estimated at five to ten minutes, he expects the student to go through every day. The exersises are of the "artistic" kind. It is nothing like the outlines and negative shapes one see in other books, what little mention there is about materials is almost obsolete; what matters is communication. The term "gesture" is used extensively throughout the book: "You should draw, not what the thing looks like, not even what it is, but what it is /doing/" (p. 15). Later, the student is asked to draw "weigt", i.e. to convey in a similar way, onto paper how heavy an object is. After that, the student is asked to try to capture poses of people he or she sees in streets, malls etc. All such concepts are enforced in terms of exercises. There is large variation between long exercises, lasting for hours, and short ones, where the student is expected to make one drawing per minute for half an hour. To me, the value of this book is in the exercises. The text only motivates, explains what should be achieved by the exercise. The exercises are also described by text, so they are demanding in that the student needs to think through what is expected, in a different way than if the ecersise was illustrated in terms of demonstrations and images. To me, this adds to the value of the book. I liked the many, short exercises wery well. For several years I have carried a small drawing pad and a couple of pencils with me, wherever I went. Mr. Nicolaides has shown me what to look for, what to try to get on the paper, when I sit at airports and cafes, and scribble away. The highly motivated student will find this book indispensable.
Rating:
Summary: Over-complicated & wordy
Review: "The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides, 221 pages Nicolaides book is often compared to "Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. Now I understand why. They are both complicated, overly-intellectualized approaches to drawing. Nicoliades writes the better complication however, because his book is approximately 60% wordy text/40% pictures. Betty Edward's is approximately 80% wordy text/20% pictures. The quote from the back cover, with the full page photo of Nicoliades shows how narrow an approach he holds: "There is only one right way to draw and that is a perfectly natural way." -Kimon Nicolaides Anyone who knows anything understands that there are as many approaches to drawing as there are people. If Nicoliades is simply telling us that all ways of drawing are "natural ways" it is a redundant statement, because nobody is arguing anywhere that anyone's drawing is unnatural. Such tautological complications of basic drawing show Nicolaides approach as wordy and intellectualized. The gesture drawings in the early chapters are uninspiring. The rest of the sparse illustrations seem to come from either student drawings and master reproductions. There are just too few of them. Nicolaides' approach to art is tedious and discouraging and nobody should be expected to read through 221 pages of boring text. There are much better books on the market with less text and more illustration.
Rating:
Summary: Profound and Useful
Review: - I just finished doing every exercise in this book. I began the book as a complete novice to art. It took me 15 months of hard work, and dedication to get through it. But it was worth it! In 15 months I have progressed from drawing stick men to producing very credible work. Creatively, I feel like I've been shot out of a cannon. I found my way of looking at things has dramatically grown. I have become more disciplined and dedicated to learning art as I've progresssed through the book. I notice I have increased mental flexibility and concentration, and am able to memorize more quickly and thoroughly than before. Instead of believing that I could never produce a masterful piece of art, I now believe that I not only can, but will. I am now busy learning to oil paint with a limited palette, and my work is progressing quickly and enjoyably. For some reason, I suspect the hardest part of learning art is behind me now. I will continue to return to this book in the future, for inspiration, and to continue to sharpen my seeing and drawing skills.
Rating:
Summary: The natural Way
Review: After reviewing the other reviews there may be nothing to say. I first encountered this book while brousing in a book store after my art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. The best thing I remembered was be prepared to throw away your first five thousand mistakes. Whoaa! Nicolides tells us " There is a vast difference between drawing and making drawings. The things you will do-over and over again- are but practice." This is a wonderful course of learning vs. drawing. I have given this text to older children as a learning tool. It is better than physical therapy for people who have visual motor problems. No sane person wants to sit and produce 25 drawings in a half hour. Many people say I can do that but do not understand how long it may take each person to accomplish the same task. I learned to cut and pound as a little boy but it required a mentor to teach me finess. It requires experience to teach me patience. The rest is your passion for art. It is a mentor on your bookshelf if you choose to take this path.
Rating: 
Summary: Is the Natural Way the way for you?
Review: Anyone preparing to undertake this book should be aware it is tremendously demanding of your time and energies. There is a minimum expectation that you will draw for three hours a day for a one year period. I have never completed the whole course but undertook it several times and managed make it through three or four months of the program with some success. This book was held in tremendous esteem by a lot of students who swore by it when I attended Cal Arts. This is in part because Cal Arts is an animation school. A lead animator needs to capture weight and gesture in a very quickly done drawing. The book teaches you to actually feel as if you are touching the object with your pencil and feel its weight and volume by means of various excercises. Later in my drawing career I found a school that taught foundational classic illustration techniques that have been passed down for ages. We were taught life drawing techniques using the four basic tones, proportions, light and form shadow, line quality quick sketch etc. One day my teacher who is an esteemed fine artist who has also created many well known movie posters you would recognize, noticed one of the students had a copy of "The Natural Way to Draw" on her drawing bench. He picked it up and asked all the students to take a look at the book. He opened it up high and actually began mocking it. My mouth was wide open as I assumed that this book was unquestioned in the art world. As he made his way through the book showing samples of the illustrations especially in the advanced stages, many in the class were laughing out loud at the pictures. I must admit at that moment they suddenly looked rather poor to me as well. I asked him isn't there anything in this book's teaching methods you feel is worthwhile? So many people follow it. His answer was a very flat and absolute "No." I was shocked. He asked me a question that I felt is worthy of consideration for anyone considering undertaking this book. He said "Look at these pictures." Would you like to be drawing like this after a year, or as you are drawing now after only a few months. As I looked at the book and examined my illustrations and those of the other students in the room, the illustrations in Nicolades book looked like primitive scribbles. To be sure the gestures and longer drawings had weight form and action, but so did the students work we were doing to an even greater degree, plus our work was capturing the personality and likeness of the model. In my case I much prefered the look of the drawings I was able to do using classical techniques. I had moved much closer to my personal goals in a much shorter amount of time. Now I don't tell this anecdote to disparage Nicolades, because many people have truly become the artist they always wanted to be through this book. Flip through the book and ask yourself, after all the work you will go through, do the examples in the book represent the way you would like to be able to draw. Know that you when you are through you will not be drawing like a Norman Rockwell or in a classical, comic or animation style if that is your desire. These methods will not translate as these styles require different disciplines. Do you want to be an artist where your work will be looked at as an internal expression? Do you put a priority on how your work expresses an esoteric truth over a literal one? If the answer is yes then by all means go for this book. If you desire to draw illustrations that capture accurate or sleek stylized likenesses and express yourself with subtle light and shadow or beautiful linework you may find yourself happier with a book or class that teaches with more classical methods. To put it more simply, when people think of you as an artist, do you want them to think of you wearing a french beret at an easel or a baseball cap at a drawing table? You can learn greatly from this book. This book offers you a long arduous trip. Do make sure it is taking you to the destination you desire. If you are not sure, or you aspire to be an animation clean-up or in-between artist then perhaps should look into the easier Betty Edwards, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain series." She borrows exercises directly from this book and it might be a good guage to see if this method suits your personality.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book.
Review: Dont be thrown off by Nicolaides' insistence on following his rigid three-hour-daily schedules. His approach is otherwise brilliant, focusing on exercises designed to help you master the various elements of drawing individually. That so many would recommend "Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain" over this book is ludicrous- Nicolaides' description of contour is no less helpful to the beginner than Betty Edward's, and "Natural Way" goes beyond to encompass anatomy, composition, NUMEROUS ways of understanding/expressing form (cross contour, modelling, etc), and the books high point- the best description of the use of gesture found in any drawing book (alone worth the price of admission). To the fellow who claimed his art teacher mocked the book, someone needs note that Nicolades' book has been used by COUNTLESS PROFESSIONALS, including illustrator Marshall Vandruff, teacher of top fantasy artist Justin Sweet(check out www.marshallart.com and www.justinsweet.com). Take this book literally at your own peril, for just under the surface are countless gems of wisdom. Do the exercises at your own pace and leisure, and pay special attention to what Nicolades is really trying to tell you - that drawing well requires "seeing" with your impulses and emotions.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant. Just dont take so literally!
Review: Dont be thrown off by Nicolaides' insistence on following his rigid three-hour-daily schedules. His approach is otherwise brilliant, focusing on exercises designed to help you master the various elements of drawing individually. That so many would recommend "Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain" over this book is ludicrous- Nicolaides' description of contour is no less helpful to the beginner than Betty Edward's, and "Natural Way" goes beyond to encompass anatomy, composition, NUMEROUS ways of understanding/expressing form (cross contour, modelling, etc), and the books high point- the best description of the use of gesture found in any drawing book (alone worth the price of admission). To the fellow who claimed his art teacher mocked the book, someone needs note that Nicolades' book has been used by COUNTLESS PROFESSIONALS, including illustrator Marshall Vandruff, teacher of top fantasy artist Justin Sweet(check out www.marshallart.com and www.justinsweet.com). Take this book literally at your own peril, for just under the surface are countless gems of wisdom. Do the exercises at your own pace and leisure, and pay special attention to what Nicolades is really trying to tell you - that drawing well requires "seeing" with your impulses and emotions.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly thorough, inspiring book.
Review: Funnily enough, when I first received this book I was somewhat disappointed. I had learnt to draw with Betty Edward's "Drawing on the right side of the brain" and somehow mister Nicolaide's book seemed a little too academic to me. False. This is a wonderful book, with exercises that to last for a lifetime. The author states that you should use them in the prescribed order, but I think it will benefit those who have worked through the Edwards' book but still want more. Although the book is brilliantly inspirational and oozes with a kind sense of humour, it shouldn't be mistaken as new agey stuff. You do learn to draw if you put the hard work it requires. It is definitely worth every cent (or in my case, peseta)!.
Rating: 
Summary: little un-natural
Review: I beg to differ with the other reviews this book normally gets and is prescribed by virtually every art instructor. I found it to be little unnatural as opposed to 'natural' way of drawing. There is a lot of emphasis on blind contour (which is a good thing to help loosen up) but the way exercises are designed just doesn't fit in today's day and age. It takes away the spontaniety from you if it tells you to sit for 3 straight hours and do this exercise then move on to the next one, so on so forth. The chapter on Drapery is probably the worst and goes nowhere. If you dont't like this book it doesn't mean you are not disciplined. Its just that like everything else in life, people have different likes and dislikes.
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